Posted on 09/22/2005 2:42:37 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
you are subject to maritime laws if you decide to go boating. and you also agree to random searches (safety inspections). most coast guards, LEO's really just want to do their job and go home. but there are a few who are a little gung-ho and believe they are fighting the war themselves.
You said it better than I did at 322, concerning high seas boardings.
Hey, I get a great warm and fuzzy feeling when I see the orange boat or helo. They are the guys (and gals) who save dumbasses like me who go way out on the ocean and get into trouble.
Boats have always been subject to boarding and search--they are, after all, operating on and across the borders of this country.
Sounds like an interesting read.
Almost.
Love your screen name. Great movie.
bump
What is the United States Coast Guard?
The U.S. Coast Guard is one of five branches of the US Armed Forces, and falls under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The Coast Guard is the country's oldest continuous seagoing service with responsibilities including Search and Rescue (SAR), Maritime Law Enforcement (MLE), Aids to Navigation (ATON), Icebreaking, Environmental Protection, Port Security and Military Readiness. In order to accomplish these missions the Coast Guard's 38,000 active-duty men and women, 8,000 Reservists, and 35,000 Auxiliarists serve in a variety of job fields ranging from operation specialists and small-boat operators and maintenance specialists to electronic technicians and aviation mechanics. The Coast Guard, during an average day, will:
Conduct 109 Search and Rescue Cases
Save 10 lives Assist 192 people in distress
Protect $2,791,841 in property
Launch 396 small boat missions
Launch 164 aircraft missions, logging 324 hours
Board 144 vessels
Seize 169 pounds of marijuana and 306 pounds of cocaine worth $9,589,000
Intercept 14 illegal migrants
Board 100 large vessels for port safety checks
Respond to 20 oil or hazardous chemical spills totaling 2,800 gallons
Service 135 aids to navigation
BTTT
I'm with you, Tonk. The CG has got a dang tough job and they do it with extreme professionalism. The people in the story sound like they're counting their blessing that they weren't 'holding' at the time. I've dealt with the CG on a few occasions, and I'm thankful for each and everyone of them. I share your frustrations ...
I can't believe you bought this story hook, line and sinker.
You know, there's another thread here, about the British storming the jail with a tank only to find their men hidden by the 'police' in another house-
where I noticed and made the call that everyone on the thread assumed the report that the 2 British troops were disguised and armed with explosives, because the (compromised)Iraqi police and the media report said so.
No critical thought process was evident on the very first line of reason, proof. Rants were all over the place.
Already have two...
"The CG has got a dang tough job and they do it with extreme professionalism."
I'm on base, every week, since Oct 2001
I see 1st hand what they do, their resources, etc
I also have 1st hand encounters with
commercial AND rereational boaters
in 3 differnt ports.
This story sounds like the usual one sided part of the media.
I feel sorry for the so called FReepers who believe everything they read.
Tonk, the whining in that article reminds me of a phone call to the local radio station during one of last year's hurricanes, Frances I think. We had Florida National Guard troops directing traffic at major intersections with their M-16's slung, them in their long sleeve uniforms baking in the hot Florida sun. God Bless them, they kept the peace and we had no trouble, the exact opposite of New Orleans. Everyone got the picture? What are you thinking? Safety, give them a hug, a thumbs up, buy them a cold one if you could? Well, that lib caller was whining about how the M-16's upset her and made her feel scared. Scared??? Sweet mother of pearl! Imagine her as the governor of your state!
Anyway, the whining in this posted article reminds me of that silly woman caller. Perhaps she was one of the ones on that boat?
House Defense Review Should Include Coast Guard
by James Jay Carafano, Ph.D.
WebMemo #851
September 21, 2005 | |
http://www.heritage.org/Research/NationalSecurity/wm851.cfm
The Pentagon is finalizing its congressionally mandated Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), an analysis of the strategy, forces, and resources required to make the nation safer over the next four years. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), recently announced that his committee will produce an alternative assessment, providing the Congress an independent review of defense needs. That is a prudent undertaking. The HASC analysis would be of even greater value if it included an evaluation of the Coast Guards role in supporting Pentagon missions.
The Coast Guard and the Pentagon
The Coast Guard is an armed service of the United States. Though it is part of the Department of Homeland Security, it also supports defense missions and in times of war can be placed under command of the Pentagon. The U.S. Coast Guard is the worlds tenth largest navy. It is a significant force. Since 9/11, Coast Guard ships, planes, and shore personnel have been called on to play an ever expanding role in both securing the nation at home and supporting the U.S. military overseas. During the response to Hurricane Katrina, Coast Guard search and rescue saved over 33,000 lives. At the same time, over 1,200 Coast Guard personnel are on duty in Iraq.
Americas National Fleet
The most efficient and effective manner to evaluate what America needs to secure its interests at sea is to envision the Coast Guard and the Navy working together as a holistic force. While the Department of Defense holds that homeland defense (the job of protecting the U.S. from conventional military invasion) and homeland security (the task of protecting against terrorist attacks and responding to disasters) are different missions, the reality is that, for the Coast Guard and the Navy, they create overlapping roles. The Coast Guard and the Navy must work together to accomplish these tasks. Conducting a strategic defense assessment that looks at the Navy alone makes no sense.
Joint Analysis Needed
A joint analysis of Coast Guard and Navy could yield important insights, including:
Determining the requirements for the Navys Littoral Ship Program;
Evaluating the importance of the Coast Guards Deepwater modernization program to the Pentagon; and
Prescribing the best mix of assets to dealing with emerging threats and new missions, such as the proliferation security initiative.
The House Armed Services Committee can help answer these questions by including Coast Guard missions, assets, and needs in its defense review.
James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., is Senior Research Fellow for National Security and Homeland Security in the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies at The Heritage Foundation. John Melogy contributed to this report.
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